A Pouch-Cell Low-Temperature All-Organic Sodium-Ion Battery

Abstract

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are promising for low-temperature applications compared with commercial lithium-ion batteries, because of the weaker solvation and higher conductivity of Na⁺ in electrolytes. However, the large size of Na⁺ leads to slow ionic transport and sluggish reaction kinetics in the electrodes, which is more severe after the lattice shrinks under low temperatures. Herein, a conjugated coordination polymer (CCP) is reported as a cathode for low-temperature SIBs, by using naphthazarin (DHNQ) as the ligands and Ni²⁺ as the metal centers. Benefiting from the π-d conjugation, the Ni-DHNQ exhibits a high electrical conductivity of 69.7 mS/m and maintains both structural integrity and efficient electron and ion transport even at −40°C. These characteristics collectively enhance the reaction kinetics and cycling stability. The Ni-DHNQ cathode enables ultrafast charging to 52% state-of-charge (SOC) in 90 s and exhibits an ultralow capacity decay rate of 0.0028% per cycle over 5000 cycles. When paired with an organic anode, the pouch full-cell could reach 87% of its SOC even at −40°C, far higher than the commercial lithium-ion batteries (12%) and reported alkali-metal-ion batteries. This work demonstrates the promise of CCPs for high-performance sustainable energy storage under extreme conditions.

Keywords

all-organic batteries / conjugated coordination polymers / full cells / low-temperature batteries / organic sodium-ion batteries

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